LOS ANGELES (KNX) - The bird has a bad rap.
Pigeons are one of the most widely-hated avian species on the planet, right up there with the notoriously rude seagulls and geese, who honestly kind of deserve it. But what did pigeons ever do to anyone?
They’ve served in wars. They understand the concept of time. They can tell the difference between a Picasso and a Monet — sometimes with over 90% accuracy. So what’s with all the pigeon hate? Why do folks consider these fowl foul?
On “I’ve Got Questions” with Mike Simpson, Melissa Hill from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West said it all comes down to bad P.R.
“We have lived with pigeons for thousands of years, and it wasn’t really until the ‘30s that people started marking them as disgusting or filthy or gross,” she explained.
Andrea Jones from Audubon California also joined the episode to dispute the allegations that pigeons are gross.
“They definitely have been associated with disease and disease spread, which is by and large false,” Jones said. “They poop out in the open and they’re eating trash, so they get this bad rap.”
Pigeons have been living among humans since the days of ancient Mesopotamia. They’ve adapted to being around people in the same way as domesticated cats, Jones explained. And the birds earn their keep — because of their incredible homing abilities, they make great messengers.
A homing pigeon named Cher Ami worked as a messenger for the U.S. Army Signal Corps in France during World War I. He had his leg shot off by the Germans, but still made it back with a message that saved the lives of 194 soldiers. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre for his service.
Why do city dwellers hate these war-hero birds? According to sociologists, we’re the problem, not the pigeons. Listen to the full audio above for more answers, and subscribe to “I’ve Got Questions” on Audacy, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, and Spotify.
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